Hilda Sim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Chemistry from the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (UNITECH). After graduating in 2007, she joined the National Analytical Laboratory (now NATSL) at UNITECH before moving to the NARI Prof. John Kola Chemistry Laboratory as a Food Chemist. In that role, she led the implementation of a Quality Management System that resulted in the laboratory achieving accreditation in 2015. With close to twenty years of laboratory experience, she is proficient in testing water, environmental, food and feed, soil and foliar, and microbiological samples, and has developed standard operating procedures and delivered staff training across these areas.

Her expertise expanded significantly through partnerships with international agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which supported her specialization in residue testing — encompassing pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, and toxin analysis in food. She has collaborated with organizations including the EU, FAO, WHO, and ADB, as well as government agencies and private sector partners, contributing technical advisory support and laboratory capacity building across Papua New Guinea.

Hilda’s research is motivated by a critical gap in national food safety infrastructure. Papua New Guinea currently lacks a functioning food safety system or established standards for veterinary drug residues in the animal-based foods consumed daily by its population. In the context of rising lifestyle diseases and the escalating global threat of antimicrobial resistance, her work aims to develop national capacity for residue testing and generate the evidence base needed for data-driven policy decisions on food safety. She hopes her completed research will enable the country to test, quantify, and regulate food contaminants — marking a significant step toward a functional food safety framework for Papua New Guinea.